CAIRO, November 30 (RIA Novosti) - Egypt’s Islamist-led constitutional commission voted to approve the country’s draft constitution on Friday following an almost 19-hour long debate on the nation's new political framework.
“The constitutional commission to draft the main legislative document of the country has unanimously approved all provisions of the draft constitution,” commission head Hossam el-Gheriyani said.
Representatives of secular parties and Coptic Christians walked out of the debate in the Islamist dominated commission, consisting of 100 delegates, to show their disagreement with the newly-proposed constitution.
The new constitution succeeds the 1971 constitution, which was suspended less than two years ago following the ouster of ex-President Hosni Mubarak.
The document will be forwarded on Friday to President Mohamed Morsi and then subjected to an all-nation referendum, most likely in mid-December. If the majority of Egyptians approve the new constitution, parliamentary elections will be held.
The main provisions in the draft constitution concern presidential powers, the status of Islam in Egypt, the role of the military and observance of human rights, which were allegedly violated during the Mubarak era sparking the spring revolution in 2011.
The new constitution will also limit the term of a president in power to two four-year terms, a notable contrast to the era of Mubarak, who ruled the country for almost three decades.
It also bans functionaries of the former ruling National Democratic Party from involvement in politics for ten years.
The draft is expected to ease tensions in the country after Morsi issued a constitutional declaration on Thursday, which expands his powers and puts him above the judiciary, declaring that the courts are barred from challenging his decisions. It also exempted the Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly, which was drawing up Egypt's new constitution, from judicial review.
The Thursday decree sparked protest rallies throughout the country. Over 500 people are believed to have been injured in clashes between police and protesters.
